Dreams
by venenatus.venustas
Summary: **WARNING** SLASH - Completed AU - Harry is getting more and more enchanted by sleep, and soon forgets to live as, instead, he begins to live in his dreams.


_Title:_ Dreams

_Series: _In A Lifetime Of Their Own

_Pairing: _Harry/Draco

_Rating:_ R for slash themes

_Summary: _Harry is getting more and more enchanted by sleep, and soon forgets to live as, instead, he begins to live in his dreams. 

****WARNING**: THIS STORY CONTAINS SLASH THEMES – WHICH MEANS HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TWO MALE CHARACTERS. YOU ARE ADVISED TO LEAVE IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS.**

**Disclaimer:** The characters portrayed in this story do not belong to me, but to the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. This is all FICTION; none of it is true. No profit was made from this story. I bear no responsibility for anything you may claim from this story, you have been warned.

**LAST WARNING. SLASH. HOMOSEXUALITY. LEAVE IF YOU DON'T LIKE. **

**Plagiarism is a crime. But I'm sure you know that already.**

***

_Met you by surprise, I didn't realise_

_That my life would change forever_

_Saw you standing there, I didn't know I cared_

_There was something special in the air_

---

I. Moment Of Surprise

It was only a split second, and when Harry blinked, the room was empty once more.

"Harry? What is it?" Hermione looked over at him strangely.

He blinked again. "What? Oh. Oh, nothing. Nothing."

Hermione gave him a probing look before nodding. "Alright then, could we enter the classroom now? There's quite a build-up behind me, you know."

"Oh! Sorry." Harry darted in, and sunk into his seat. Hermione immediately began studying her potions text – they were going to have a practical exam soon, and she needed to prepare. Three months in advance, of course.

There was a sudden voice next to him. "Thank Merlin I made it to class on time! Snape would have my head off. Or at least take a gazillion points off Gryffindor…Guess who I was talking to just now? You know, that…"

"Mmm," said Harry absently.

"…said 'Do you honestly think I care?' and she went…."

"Mmm."

"Harry?"

"Mmm."

"Uh, Harry?" A hand waved in front of his face.

He started. "Oh! Um, yeah, I was listening."

Ron gave him a strange look. "What were you thinking about?"

"Oh. Um. Nothing."

And then Snape swept in and everyone was silent. Harry thanked his stars that Ron couldn't interrogate him any further.

---

II. Under The Cloak Of The Night

He couldn't sleep.

Not that it wasn't a normal occurrence – after all, defeaters of Dark Lords were expected to be plagued by nightmares for the rest of their lives, were they not?

However, Harry's lack of sleep was due to the split second earlier today. Only a fraction of an instant, but the image was burned into his mind forever.

It was a boy. No, not a boy…well, yes, a boy, of his own age. Seventeen, perhaps? Younger, maybe, but definitely not older. 

Hair, silver, like the moon. Eyes, silver also, like the shadows of the moon glimmering on the surface of the lake. Lips, pink, soft rose petals. And skin, pale porcelain, smooth, unflawed. Perfect.

The boy he had seen was. Perfect.

Harry turned over to his side, pulling the covers up higher. 

So beautiful.

---

_Dreams are my reality, the only kind of real fantasy_

_Illusions are a common thing_

_I try to live in dreams_

_It seems as if it's meant to be_

---

III. Fantasies

Hermione and Ron were worried about him, he could tell. He hadn't eaten properly for quite a while, and the effects were already beginning to show: a sallow complexion to rival Snape's, lethargy and a constant need for sleep.

Sleep. He craved it, wanted it, desired it. 

He hadn't gotten any nightmares since that night.

He hadn't gotten any work done since that night either, because he was in bed, curtains pulled tightly shut, asleep.

Dreaming. Of him. 

Of perfection.

---

IV. First meeting

"Hello."

"Hello," the boy said. He stood about six feet away from him.

"My name's Harry."

"My name's Draco."

Harry grinned and Draco gave a soft smile in return.

"I saw you today in the classroom."

Draco tilted his head slightly to the right. "Yes, you did."

"My friend didn't see you, though."

"No," said Draco thoughtfully. "She didn't."

"Why not?" 

"Because I came to see you."

"Why?"

"Because." Draco smiled a secret smile. "I like you."

"How do you know me?" Harry decided to ignore Draco's last comment and stored it carefully away in his memory instead.

"You freed me."

"From who?"

"From the Dark Lord."

"I did?" Harry didn't remember freeing anybody or anything – only the slaughter of Voldemort. 

"Yes, you did."

"When? How?"

Draco's smile grew slightly. "So many questions."

Harry nodded earnestly. "Yes."

"I need time to answer."

"Anything." 

"Alas. It's time for you to wake up."

Harry shook his head. "No, no. Please. Tell me."

_Harry! Harry, come on!_

"Your friend is calling you to wake."

Harry shook his head again. "No," he said again, desperately. "No, I can't, I want to stay here. With you."

"I'll be here when you come back."

Harry looked dubious. "Promise?"

"Promise. There's nowhere else for me to go." Draco smiled, and stepped closer to Harry. A hand went up and fingertips danced across Harry's cheek. "Now go. You're late."

Harry felt like crying, but nodded and closed his eyes.

---

V. For Light To Be The Heir Of Darkness

It wasn't until four nights later that Harry managed to fall asleep and have Draco answer his many questions.

"I am human."

"Why are you here?"

"I was sent here by my father."

"Who was your father?"

"Lucius Malfoy."

A chill went up Harry's spine. The man that played a great part in the death of Harry's parents was the man that sired this – this _perfection._ Impossible. And yet…if Harry squinted, he could see the similarities between the two.

"Why?"

"I was destined to be the heir of the Dark Lord."

Harry couldn't repress his shiver this time. 

Draco saw, and explained. "I didn't want to – I wasn't a very willing student. And so, I was put here, away from everyone else, with nothing else to do but learn to be Dark."

"And yet…you're so full of Light."

"Yes," Draco said, the strange little smile coming to his face again. "Yes, I am Light."

---

VI. Life In A Dream

Sleep came easier and easier to Harry each time, and each time, he stayed with Draco longer and longer. Two weeks after Harry first saw Draco, he initiated a conversation that he obsessed over since the words were spoken.

"Draco," he said, lying in a warm embrace. "Draco, when you were put here – where did your body go? The Ministry searched Malfoy Manor up and down – secret places included – and they never found you."

Draco stroked Harry's hair back from his forehead. "My soul and body were put here together."

"Where's here, Draco?" He wrapped his arms more tightly around the lithe body pressed tightly to his.

"It's a dream world, Harry."

"How did I free you?"

"You killed my father."

Harry stiffened. 

"And released my soul from his grasp."

"But why can only I see you in my dreams?"

"Because you were the one that killed my father."

Harry tensed further. 

"Don't worry about it," Draco said, dropping a kiss on Harry's cheek.

Harry became even more rigid, but it was not about Lucius Malfoy any more. No, it was Draco's lips on his skin, for a brief second, warm and soft – and tender. 

Harry sighed. And wanted more.

"Is there any way for me to get you out?"

Draco pondered. 

"No."

Harry was crestfallen.

"Don't worry about it," Draco said again, this time dropping a kiss on Harry's down-turned lips.

And Harry stopped worrying about getting Draco out and started to worry about getting more of Draco instead.

---

VII. Clouds In The Distance

He needed to get Draco _out_. But somehow, whenever he was in his dreams with Draco, he forgot all about it, forgot to ask questions. It was, Harry realised, a completely understandable thing to do when perfection was kissing you, touching you, stroking you – after all, Harry was only human. A teenage hormonal male human, at that. 

Harry wiped his mouth, determined not to drool during Charms. And certainly not with Hermione and Ron eyeing him warily.

"Um. Harry?" asked Ron, when Professor Flitwick left the class to accompany Neville to Madam Pomfrey. He had, somehow, managed to charm his Charms textbook to whack him on the head and render him unconscious.

"Yes, Ron?" Harry felt mildly annoyed. He was thinking about _Draco_, for Merlin's sake. More like inner worship, but still.

"Is. Is anything wrong?" 

"No. Why?"

"You just seem. Strange. Lately. Sleeping a lot. No more nightmares…but that's a good thing," he added hastily.

"Need to catch up on sleep."

Ron threw him another strange look. "Er. Sure."

Hermione glared at the two of them.

---

_Dreams are my reality, a different kind of reality_

_I dream of loving in the night_

_And loving seems alright_

_Although it's only fantasy_

---

VIII. Homework

"I'm going to sleep. Nobody wake me," Harry announced, the second they were all inside the common room.

"Harry, it's seven. We just had dinner. We haven't even started on our homework yet," said Hermione, shocked.

Harry shook his head. "No, I really need to sleep." His eyes were pleading with her silently.

"Oh, go on, Hermione. Harry needs his sleep." Ron nudged Hermione, who immediately rounded on him, lecturing about priorities and homework and upcoming NEWTS.

"Well no one's going to _fail_ Harry, he killed You Know Who, didn't he?" 

"For Chrissakes, Ron, the guy's dead and you still couldn't call him by his name? _Voldemort!_" were the last things Harry heard as he made his way to his bed.

Charming the curtains so they couldn't be opened from the outside, Harry sunk into bed gratefully and fell asleep.

And went to see Draco.

---

IX. Quidditch

"Sleep. Later," was all he said as he ran up the stairs.

Hermione and Ron heard a door slam two seconds later. She looked at him. "Quidditch practice is in twenty minutes, and he's going to _sleep_?!"

Ron shrugged. "Don't look at me. I don't know anything."

Hermione glared. "He skips meals, barely makes it to classes, doesn't do any homework, and now he's skipping Quidditch practice for the sixth day in a row, and all you can do is _shrug_ and say you _don't know_?!" Hermione poked Ron's chest furiously. "NEWTs are in two days and he hasn't even started studying yet!"

Ron held his hands up in defense. "I can't help it! I know just as much as you do!"

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Well, whatever it is, we have to get him to spill so we can help him get over it and get _on_ with studying."

---

X. Sacrifices

"How are your NEWTs going?"

Harry was sprawled on top of Draco, head resting on a strong chest as a delicate hand trailed up and down his arm. He enjoyed the rise and fall of Draco's chest as he breathed slowly, languidly. It was comforting. 

"I don't know. I can't really remember. I do know my last NEWT is tomorrow, though. And then it'll all be over."

"That's not very good, Harry. You must graduate." Draco was scolding lightly.

"Well what about you? You didn't even take any OWLs or NEWTs."

"Ah." Harry could hear the smile in Draco's voice. "I took them when I was six. And passed with flying colours. Whilst _you_ on the other hand…"

"I can't help it," Harry said defensively, hiking himself up on his elbows so he could look into Draco's eyes. "I miss you."

Draco's eyes softened. "Oh, Harry," was all he said, as tilted his head up for a kiss.

---

_If you do exist, honey don't resist_

_Show me a new way of loving_

_Tell me that it's true, show me what to do_

_I feel something special about you_

---

XI. The Act Of Love

They made love two nights after Harry's NEWTs were over. It was everything Harry imagined it to be, and more. He remembered crying as they came, hot tears sliding sideways and onto his ears as Draco leaned down to kiss him. 

He remembered crying because his soul was crying, because he had no way of ever getting Draco out. And because his soul knew it had found its other half in this beautiful boy that was locked away, never for him to have.

As they cuddled together afterwards, Draco was frowning and so Harry reached up and brushed his fingertips across his forehead.

"Is something the matter?" he whispered.

"No," said Draco. "Just a little dizzy."

Harry smiled. "Oh."

Draco smiled back. 

And then Harry couldn't resist because he felt as if his heart was bursting. "I love you."

Draco's smile grew. "I love you, too." 

But then Draco's frown grew as well. 

Harry was alarmed. "Draco?!"

"Dizzy. I'm alright."

"Okay."

---

XII. A Strange Illness

Draco kept getting weaker and weaker, and Harry prolonged his visits longer and longer as his remaining two weeks at Hogwarts began to melt away. He now woke to the feel of warm, ghostly hands holding him in his large, empty bed, the feelings growing stronger as Draco grew weaker. He cried each time he woke.

Harry suspected that he woke to the feel of Draco's embraces because the real Draco – the Draco in his dreams, was fading away, and his soul was missing him so much already that he imagined Draco holding him like he used to, like the early days.

He couldn't find a cure. There were no symptoms; Draco just got progressively weaker, and Harry got progressively alarmed.

And then one night, Harry couldn't deny it any longer as he looked down at the sleeping Draco in his arms. 

Draco was dying.

---

XIII. Death

Three nights before graduation.

Draco died in Harry's arms.

He slept for forty-two hours that night, and no one knew why. 

No one, except Harry.

He had been mourning for his lost love, screaming at the injustice of the universe and all its dimensions, hysterical as the body he held slowly faded away to nothing until his arms held only air.

---

XIV. The New Dawn

Harry woke up. 

He cried silently, streams of tears spilling out under his eyelids, unwilling to open his eyes and accept that Draco indeed was gone.

He cried harder when he realised he was feeling Draco's embrace again, and how real it felt. Oh, he wanted to curse himself then, for his mind to dredge up such painful memories when Draco was – was…

…very much alive as tender lips brushed against his ear and whispered. "I'm here. You rescued me. I'm here." The arms around him tightened, and Harry cried even harder as he rolled over slowly, eyes still squeezed shut, wanting to believe, yet not unwilling to disbelieve.

Lips descended and kissed each one of his closed eyes gently, tasting their saltiness, breathing warm breath onto him as they whispered, "Open your eyes. I'm here."

And Harry opened his eyes, and another surge of tears flowed as they met silver eyes that glimmered like the shadows of the moon on the surface of the lake. And the tears kept on flowing as they travelled to hair, silver, like the moon, lips, like pink, soft rose petals and skin, pale porcelain, smooth, unflawed. 

"_Oh_," was all he could whimper, and those lips that he ached for touched against his own so, so lovingly, and the touch that he yearned reached up to caress his cheek, and the one he loved was there, holding him once more.

"I'm here," Draco murmured, lips still pressed to Harry's. "I'm here to stay. Forever. With you."

---

_Dreams are my reality, the only kind of reality_

_May be my foolishness has past_

_And may be now at last_

_I'll see how a real thing can be_

---

The End.


End file.
